“Hello teacher, I liked this book and the story. Did you get new books today?”
This is one of the many voices from the children in the Care Homes I visit.
“Teacher, we won first place in a dance competition!”
“I read four books this month.”
They share updates about their lives with such enthusiasm. Some greet me with warm hugs and hold my hand, some pour out their stories, and others simply let their smiles speak.
Six months in the Care Home programme have been a treasure of warmth and learning. The true heart of this journey revealed itself when I entered the sessions, where the children’s presence gave meaning to every moment.
In India, a Care Home refers to a facility that provides shelter, care, and protection for children who are orphans, abandoned, or in situations of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. These homes offer a safe environment where basic needs of food, clothing, and education are met, while also providing counseling, emotional support, and skill development to nurture children’s growth.
Visiting Care Homes is part of the Mobile Outreach Programme, one of the many vibrant initiatives Bookworm has undertaken. In Goa, Bookworm partners with Care Homes to create a library experience for children. A library corner is set up within the home, giving children continuous access to books. They maintain their own reading records on library cards, fostering independence and pride in their reading journeys.
Every month, one or two resource persons visit these sites on scheduled days to conduct joyful, meaningful sessions that engage children with the library in many ways.
A typical session begins with warm greetings and Bookworm songs. We ask about their reading journeys, encourage them to select books, and guide them through activities.
The syllabus includes Read Alouds, exploring sections of the collection, literacy games, book care sessions, etc.
Currently, we work with seven Care Homes in Goa. The children eagerly await our visits. One child once told me, “It’s not like school, where we aren’t allowed to express ourselves. Here, our voices are heard and understood.”
Books in these homes are refreshed every six months, and sessions pause in April and May when many children go home for vacation.
In environments away from family and familiar surroundings, acceptance, understanding, and time becomes more crucial. The magic of books is equally essential in their lives, and that is exactly what Bookworm brings, in an exquisite and lively manner.
When I return home on Saturdays after a session, my heart carries a different kind of joy, the joy of sharing the love of books, of spending time, and of understanding children who need it most. The bonds formed over time are immeasurable. For me, this journey has been transformative.
Moving forward, I wish to spread this joy to many more children, and I hope others will join us in bringing the magic of books to spaces where it is most needed.
This joy is not mine alone. My fellow facilitators share similar experiences, each session leaves us moved by the children’s warmth and energy.
A few team members also share from their care home sessions as below:
Anandita Rao, a Care Home teammate, shares her experience here:
‘Our sessions in Care homes, in contrast to other MOP sessions, are restricted within the boundaries that a care home has, in terms of space, invisible rules, and authority. The sessions are also enabling and special in a way that care home sessions can be, because of the responses that children bring and the expressions of freedom that get activated in different ways. In one of the sessions, where the story Mukand and Riaz by Nina Sabnani was read aloud, the connection with moving and breaking and forming relationships was one that evoked many sharings of shifting from one home to another or one school to another, of siblings being apart in different homes, of the joys of meeting each other when home collaborative events happen and the anticipation of interacting with resource persons who move from home to home with the freedom that adults have.’
Priya Naik, a Care Home teammate, shares her experience here:
‘Being part of the sessions at St. Alex Care Home has been very moving. The first time I walked into the space I was met with an unsettling stillness in children. The children sat quietly as though my presence signalled an inspection rather than an invitation. For nearly thirty minutes the room held only silence. The questions went unanswered and the girls held their voices back with caution and uncertainty. Then during the Read Aloud something gently began to change. As I read Biblioburro the power of the story quietly worked its way into the room. The children started to respond although not all at once, but in small meaningful ways. They connected Luis with Bookworm and his journey of carrying books to others to their own experience of receiving books and stories. With each session trust slowly took root. After a few sessions and with the caretaker’s consent, we stepped outside for theatre games.Their laughter replaced the hesitation they had earlier when we played Book Mirror, Tota Pinjra, and Lalaji Ne Laddo Bante. The space of trust and connection between us opened through movement, play and shared joy. These moments have stayed with me and them . Even sometimes now they ask if we can play those games again. For me this remains a powerful reminder of how stories, time, and the presence of libraries can soften guarded hearts and create spaces of freedom and belonging.’
Melcom Braganza, a Care Home teammate, shares his experience here:
Going to a care home has quietly become one of the best things that has happened to me. There’s something deeply grounding about walking into that space and being met with pure, unfiltered curiosity. The children arrive with questions already dancing in their eyes. What’s going to happen today in the library? Which story will we step into? Will there be movement, art, craft, or a bit of drama as a post story activity awaits into it?
I’ve had the privilege of working with two such homes. First was Novit Jevit Home, and more recently, Sr. Valentina Care Home in Colva. Every visit reminds me what joy looks like in its simplest form. The children are an absolute bundle of joy, thoughtful, shy, bold, and endlessly surprising.
What brings me the deepest joy is knowing I get to see them once every month. I look forward to their stories, their feelings, the way they respond to a question or pause thoughtfully before answering. The way a story lands differently with each child stays with me long after I leave. Those moments linger. They remind me why stories matter, why presence matters, and why these visits feel less like giving and more like receiving.
Library Joy
Through these stories and shared moments, it is clear that the “Joy of a Library” program is about far more than literacy; it is about building a bridge of belonging for children who need it most. We step into these Care Homes to share stories, yet we often leave with our own hearts full, enriched by the strength and unfiltered spirit of the children we meet. As we continue to nurture these deep connections, I am reminded that even the smallest library corner can become a wide-open world of possibility. I look forward to the many chapters yet to be written, as we strive to ensure every child knows the warmth of a story and the power of being heard.
Blog written by: Daisy D’souza